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Learning the United States 

Through Printed Word 

In the Principal Foreign Languages 



By ARISTOTLE S. TSAKONAS, M. E. 

former 

Consul for Greece at PMladelphia 

and 

Commercial Adviser to the Greek Legation 

at Washington 



Philadelphia, Pa., U. S. A. 
1920 



Learning the United States through the 

Printed World in the Principal 

Foreign Languages 



"The Americanization of alien peoples 
in the United States could not be fully 
realized unless such peoples had a me- 
dium published in their own language." 

(R. S. MaeElvee, Ph. D., Director, 
Bureau of Foreign and Domestic 
Commerce, Department of Com- 
merce, Washington, D. C, Aug., 
1920.) 

I have before me a copy of the "EXPORT AMERICAN 
INDUSTRIES," also "L'AMERIQUE," "AMERICA/' and "A 
AMERICA," published by the "National Association of Manu- 
facturers of the United States of America" in New York City. 

When I saw the Portuguese edition, I thought an illustrated 
periodical published in the Greek language, treating not only with 
commercial and industrial matters and new American inventions, 
but also with other subjects concerning house industries, sanita- 
tion, food, plants, animal industry and many other valuable and 
practical matters contained in the official "Farmers' Bulletins," 
the Bulletins of the Agricultural Experimental Stations and 
various very instructive publications of the other Departments, 
would certainly render valuable services to the Greeks living in 
the United States. Such a comprehensible illustrated publica- 
tion v^^ill make the Greek intimate with American ideas and ac- 
tivities. His attention will be directed to nev/ opportunities 
offered him, and eventually to the members of his family and 
his relatives, through "AMEPIKH" (AMERICA). 

The Greek emigrant entering the United States begins to 
work in Greek candy, fruit, shoe and hat-cleaning stores, res- 
taurants or grocery stores, where only Greek is spoken and Greek 
papers are read. He lives and works very hard with the sole 
purpose of making money and returning to Greece. He pays no 
attention to American matters, thinking, like most of the foreign- 
ers, that the Americans are only money-makers. He seldom 
reads in Greek newspapers descriptions of important American 
works and American genius, ideals, charities, etc. The Greek 
lives decades in this country and his attention is only drawn to 



misdeeds of the community, rendering him totally ignorant of 
the merits, the talent and the character of the true American. 

Alien peoples do not care much for lectures, or for hearing 
a teacher, even if the teaching is done in their mother tongue. 
Clearly written and illustrated matter in their native language 
is easily assimilated and remains in the memory of the ahen to 
whom rightly applies the Latin motto, "Verba volant, scripta 
manent." 

The opportunity to develop important Greek trade is very 
favorable to our manufacturers on account of the 450,000 Greeks 
and Greek-speaking individuals residing in the United States. 
They have regular correspondence with more than two millions 
of their relatives living in the old and Greater Greece. 

The Greeks are sending Greek newspapers and magazines 
published in this country to their relatives and friends in Greece. 
Consequently, the proposed Greek edition will be an excellent 
advertising medium for American manufacturers and exporters. 

The size of the periodical in question should not exceed 6x9 
inches and should begin with the text, so that the reader may 
easily separate the reading matter from the advertisements and 
keep it in his pocket ready to be read at any convenient time 
and place. 

Greece is an agricultural country. The Greek is a hard- 
working man and likes farming. 

According to Prof. Berhard Ostorlenk, Director of the Na- 
tional Farm School, at Farm School, Pa., a million acres of im- 
proved land are idle in Pennsylvania, New York, New Jersey and 
New England. 

Aliens could without much difficulty be induced to till the 
soil, by many arguments and examples of successful cases, which 
must be convincingly written in their mother tongue. 

Such a practical publication, as I conceive it, will instruct 
the Greek and give him a complete understanding of American 
institutions. Furtherm^ore, it will serve for two other purposes, 
namely: The absolute inexpensive Americanization, and the 
profitable advertising of American products among the Greeks 
in the United States and the whole Greece. 

MOVEMENT OF GREEK NEWSPAPERS AND BOOKS IN 
THE UNITED STATES 

There are in the United States and Canada over 100,000 
Greeks who are subscribers and readers of Greek newspapers and 
bool's. Eighteen Greek papers and periodicals are regularly 
published in the United States. Over thirty Greek schools, with 
about 5,000 pupils, are in the Union. The value of imported 
and domestic Greek books, sold to the Greek aliens, amounts to 
$80,000 yearly. There are over 300 students and graduates in 



and from American universities and other educational institu- 
tions. There are Greeks graduated with honor and who are 
teaching in American universities and colleges. The intellectual 
movement of the Greeks in the United States is highly satis- 
factory. 

In accordance with a statement of the *'RITESERVICE" 
Advertising Agency in New York City, the three most important 
Portuguese weeklies issued in the United States showed in Feb- 
ruary, 1919, a total circulation of only 27,695 copies, against 
51,740 copies of only two Greek daily papers published in New 
York City. 

The combined circulation of all papers published in the 
Union, in the Rumanian, Serbian, Bulgarian, Armenian and 
Syrian (Arabian) languages does not exceed 50,000 copies, ac- 
cording to the statement of the above-mentioned agency. 

Our Vice-Consul, George P. Waller, Jr., at Athens, Greece, 
is rightly stating in Commerce Reports for May 3rd, 1918, that : 

"The average Greek is an inveterate reader of news- 
papers, and whether at home or in cafe, club, or coffee 
shop, reads every day five or six newspapers published in 
Greek." 

EDUCATIONAL PROGRESS IN THE UNITED STATES 
UNKNOWN ABROAD 

Foreigners do not quite realize the educational progress of 
our Republic. They do not know that in 1916 there were in the 
Union 574 universities, colleges and schools of technology, with 
34,869 professors and instructors. The number of students — 
preparatory, collegiate and graduate — was 311,885. 

They do not know that in 1918 we had 890 commercial 
schools with 289,579 students. In 1916 there were in the United 
States 580 professional schools with 69,275 students. 

Foreigners here in the Union have no idea of the schools 
of agriculture, trade or industry and home economics established 
through the enormous energy of the Federal Board of Vocational 
Education, which is a strong government body only three years 
old. End of June, 1919, there were enrolled in said schools 
194,895 pupils of both sexes, receiving instruction by a staff of 
6,252 teachers. 

It is not known to the general public that we have seventy 
agricultural colleges and about the same number of agricultural 
experimental stations. 

Even in this country many are ignorant of the fact that in 
1918, 20,853,516 pupils were enrolled in public, graded and high 
schools, excluding private schools, and having a staff of 663,400 
teachers and principals. The annual expenditure of the United 
States Government amounted to $763,678,089. 



6 

All the above figures have been extracted from the "Statis- 
tical Abstract of the United States" for 1919. 

The name of the "Edison of the West," the eminent Luther 
Burbank, is unknown abroad. Only some scientists are familiar 
with his enormous and brilliant work. 

We have over twenty office labor-saving machines and de- 
vices of pure American invention which are not known in the 
Balkan and Near Eastern States, where only the regular type- 
writers and mimeographs are in use. 

The wonderful automatic machines for cartooning, grading, 
filing, cleaning, wrapping, labeling, packing, etc., etc., and the 
numerous labor-saving metal and woodv\^orking machines are 
absolutely unknown to the peoples of the above-named countries. 

A French mining engineer expressed to me lately his admira- 
tion of our unexcelled mining equipments. 

America's unselfish political conduct, her universally admired 
philanthropic work, are sincerely appreciated by the whole world, 
and especially in the Balkan and Near Eastern nations, which 
v/ould gladly send to us their sons for education. But, first of 
all, foreigners must leam not only the material but also the 
intellectual forces of our great Republic. 

The suggested Greek publication will inform the Greek 
nation that our country offers their sons the same advantages 
offered by the old European nations in regard to science, and 
even greater advantages and opportunities having relation with 
technical education. 

PUBLICATIONS IN ENGLISH DO NOT PROMOTE 
TRADE WITH GREECE 

The Greek does not understand the English language. Pub- 
lications, therefore, and catalogues in English are of no use to 
the Greek merchant or manufacturer. On the other hand, the 
plethora of export and import offices, established by various 
creeds during the war in this country, are very seldom equipped 
with the needed linguistic and literary power to understand de- 
scriptions of mechanical devices in English, and to translate 
same intelligently, so that tlie advantages and use of the offered 
article are easily understood by the prospective customer. 

With regard to the French language, I must herewith repro- 
duce and maintain the following passage from a booklet which 
I pu.bHshed in Philadelphia, Pa., in 1906, under the title, "Ameri- 
can Trade With the Levant and Its Possibilities." 

"Many people think that the French language is gen- 
erally understood in Greece, and therefore many American, 
English and some German firms are sending French cata- 
logues and letters to that counti-y. It is true that many 
educated Greeks, such r.s lawyers, physicians, engineers 
and some merchants, understand more or less of French, 
but the masses of the people know no more of it than they 
CO of Chinese." 



I know from personal experience how difficult it is for me 
not to introduce into Greece American agricultural machinery, 
but to sell them and at the same time to satisfy the purchaser, 
who should be instructed how to use them. 

In 1900, 1 perfectly succeeded in that, first by verbal explana- 
tions of the advantages of my article, in comparison to others, 
and, second, by offering unlimited numbers of profusely illus- 
trated Greek catalogues in colors, forming 36 pages, size 7x9 
inches, and containing in clear Greek language distinct instruc- 
tions for the use of the product of the "MacCormick Harvesting 
Machine Co.," in Chicago, 111., for whom I was sole agent for 
Greece. 

MENTAL CAPACITY OF THE GREEK 

To the passioned Greek the following motto of a Gernian 
writer could very well be applied: 

"Ohne Leidenschaft giebt es keine Genialitaet." 
(Without passion there is no genius.) 

I may mention herewith the opinions of only one American 
and one Englishman, very well known authorities, who studied 
profoundly for many years the Greek conditions and character. 

There was Samuel Gridles Howe, of Boston, who states in 
his introduction of George Finlay's booklet, "Hellenic Kingdom 
and the Greek Nation," as follows: 

"Compared with other nations the Greeks will be found 
to merit a considerable degree of freedom. Their intellec- 
tual capacity ever has been, and still is, of the highest 
order; their elasticity of spirit is unbroken; the Greek is 
never bloodthirsty, never gluttonous, never drunk; he is 
temperate in all but joy and grief; and the vices that 
disgrace his character are those caused by oppression and 
degradation." 

On the other hand, the English author, J. P. Mahaffy, in his 
excellent work, "Rambles and Studies in Greece," 7th edition, 
1913, presents as follows the intellectual energy of the Greeks: 

"They are probably as clever a people as can be found 
in the world, and fit for any mental work whatever. This 
they have proved, not only by getting into their hands all 
the trade of the Eastern Mediterranean, but by holding 
their own among English merchants in England.^ As yet 
they have not found any encouragement in other directions; 
but if settled among a great people and weaned from the 
follies of jealousies of Greek politics, they would (like 
the Jews) outrun many of us, both in politics and science. 
However that may be — and perhaps such a development 
requires moral qualities in which they seem deficient — it 
is certain that their workmen learn trades with extraor- 
dinary quickness; while their commercial or professional 
men acquire languages, and the amount of knowledge 
necessary for making money, with the most singular apt- 



8 

ness. But as yet they are stimulated by the love of gain. 
"Having been at all ages with a very bright intellect, 
and a great reasonableness, they have an intellectual in- 
sight into things Virhich is consistent with the storm of 
wilder passion." 

Our merchants and manufacturers do not realize that the 
• commerce of the Near East is controlled by Greeks, a fact which 
is pointed out by all our Consuls in those countries. An equally 
well established fact is that the Greeks can learn America only 
through printed and verbal word in their own language — adver- 
tisements and catalogues in other languages is wasted time. 

A SUGGESTION 

Our largest industrial organization, "The National Associa- 
tion of Manufacturers of the United States of America," which 
numbers 5,400 members and employs 6,000,000 persons, would 
essentially help official and private endeavors, as regards Ameri- 
canization, if it would compile comparative statistical tables 
showing the nationality, the age, the religion, the time of living 
in the United States, the occupation, the wages and salaries paid, 
the education, the manual and mental ability, the character, the 
degree of loyalty shown to our institutions, etc., etc., of all races 
engaged in the industrial enterprises of our manufacturers. 

CONCLUSION 

In the following I give a summary of the reasons which 
plead for the suggested Greek publication by the "National Asso- 
ciation of Manufacturers," or the "National City Bank," "the 
American Manufacturers' Export Association," the "Commercial 
Museum of Philadelphia," or any other American institution con- 
templating foreign trade promotion and Americanization. 

1. The needs of Greater Greece are greater than those of 
Portugal. 

2. The density of population is greater than that of Portu- 
gal and other Latin-American states in which we have invested 
much money and brains. 

3. The soil of Greece is almost virgin, and the mineral and 
agricultural products, as regards quality and quantity, unrivaled 
and easily accessible. 

4. Following the axiom, "Distance rules commerce," Greece 
and all the Near Eastern States are more favorably situated for 
us than many Latin-American countries. 

5. The commercial integrity of the Greek is unquestionable. 

6. Financial Greece, despite the three wars, is in a better 
condition than many neutral countries. 

7. The intellectual capacity of the Greek surpasses that of 
the Latin races. 



From the foregoing, one may easily conclude that Greece, in 
the intellectual sense, already an important factor in the Eastern 
Mediterranean region, will become a world power through the 
splendid achievements of the pre-eminent statesman Venizelos. 

Indisputably, the commercial, industrial, agricultural, etc., 
development of Greater Greece will be rapid and tremendous. 

Making a comparison of Portuguese and Grecian conditions, 
we see that the figures of the following comparative table pleads 
very strongly and most favorably for the proposed Greek pub- 
lication and supplements the above exhibited arguments. 

If the Portuguese editions of so many trade papers published 
in the United States proved successful, I am positively convinced 
that the suggested Greek edition will fulfill the scope on a larger 
scale and be even more successful. 

Had I the necessary material means, I would not hesitate 
one moment to embark heart and soul in the suggested work, 
which would, beyond any doubt, serve the interests of my natal, 
as well as of this, my adopted country. 



1915 



1912 
1916 



10 



COMPARATIVE TABLE 



AREA 



PORTUGAL 



GREECE 



1915 35,501 sq. mi. including Madeira and 
Azores, 808,109 sq. mi. Colonies. 



1912 25,000 sq. miles 

1920 72,000 sq. miles 



POPULATION 



6,000,000, incl. Madeira and Azores. 
9,278,000, Colonies. 



1914 4,802,000 

1920 8,500,000 



TOTAL COMMERCE 



Imports $80,585,000 

Exports 37,062,000 

Imports 158,000,000 

Exports 85,000,000 

For 1918 and 1919 no statistics 
available. 



1912 Imports $30,428,000 

Exports 28,209,000 

1916 Imports 77,092,000 

Ebcports 29,884,000 

1919 Imports 241,987,130 (1) 

Exports 115,381,729 (1) 



COMMERCE WITH U. S. A. 



From Portugal, 1912 — Imports. 


$6,200,190 


From Greece, 


1912-13— Imports. 


$3,179,816 


To " Exports. 


. 2.765,654 


To 


Exports . 


1,216,195 


From " 1916 — Imports. 


7,171,295 


From " 


1916 — Imports. 


10,595,476 


To " Exports . 


15,325,193 


To 


Exports . 


33,685,689 


From " 1919 — Imports. 


6,414,961 


From " 


1919 — Imports 


13,987,5871 


To " Exports. 


19,829,874 


To 


Exports . 


67,685,27P 



MERCHANT NAVY 



227 Steamers of 261,212 gross tons in 1919. 
94 Sailing vessels, 30,986 gross tons In 
1919. 



Greek Official Data of January, 192ft. 

229 Steamers, 430,237 gross tons. 

754 Sailing vessels, 108,218 gross tons. 

214 Small steamers in Danube River. 

94 Tow boats in Galatz, Rumania. 

29 Tow boats in Constantinople. 

N. B.^For political and other reasons many ships owned by Greeks sailed under Turkish 
or other flagrs. 

BUDGET 



1913-14 Revenue. 



1917-18 



$84,000,000 (2) 

Expenditure 92,243,000 (2) 

Revenue 17,000,000 (3) 

Expenditure 17,000,000 (3) 

Revenue 30,605,000(3) 

Expenditure 33,810,000 (3) 

Revenue 88,549,000 (2) 

Expenditure 92,250,000 (2) 



1912 Revenue $27,918,000 

Expenditure 27,492,000 

1918 Revenue 55,569,000 

Expenditure 147,239,000 

1920 Revenue 199,500,000 (4) 

Expenditure 250,000,000 



NATIONAL DEBT 



1913 $947,603,000 

1918 1,289,646,000 

Per capita, 216.46. 

Rate of interest, 3 — 5 per cent. 

Per capita, 5.73. 



1913 $206,640,000 

1919 469,362,000 

1920 633,600,000(5) 

Per capita, 94.82. 

Rate of interest, 2^ — 5 per cent. 
Per capita, 2.48. 



INTEREST AND OTHER ANNUAL CHARGES 

In 1919 $34,122,000 In December, 1919 $12,291,000 

PAPER CIRCULATION AND GOLD RESERVE 

December, 1919, transformed into U. S. In December, 1919, transformed into U. S. 

Dollars at normal exchange of milreis. Dollars of normal course -of Drachma, 

it was only 2.6 per cent, of gold to it was 130.3 per cent, of gold to notes 

notes. (6). 

Circulation of notes per capita, 294. Circulation of notes per capita, 240. 

LANGUAGE SPOKEN 



Not over 10,000,000 persons in the mother 
country and Colonies (7). 



In Greece, Balkan States and Near Eastern 
countries by 15,000,000 persons. 



IMMIGRANTS IN THE U. S. A. 

1891 to 1919, incl 160,000 1894 to 1919 incl 353,000 (8) 



11 

NOTES TO THE PRECEDING TABLE 

1. From January 1st to October 31st, 1919, according to statistics of the 

Greek Government, which gives the values in Drachmas, which are 
transformed in U. S. Dollars of normal exchange of Drachma. 
The total value of the imports and domestic exports of the United States 
from and into Greece during the year ended December 31st, 1919, for 
merchandise only, are given from the Department of Commerce in 
Washington, as follows: 

Imports from Greece $28,599,669 

Domestic exports to Greece 40,337,038 

2. In the mother country. 

3. In the colonies. 

4. The estimated revenue for 1920-1921 amounts to Drachmas 1,169,511,196 

($225,715,661). 

5. Bulgaria has to pay to Greece a war indemnity of gold francs 2,250,000,000 

$434,250,000). 
Greece also claims from Germany an indemnity of gold francs 3,500,000,0 
Greece also claims from Germany an indemnity of gold francs 3,500,000,000 
($675,500,000) for losses sustained by the activities of the German 
submarines to the shipping interests of Greece during the war. 

6. Following a table compiled by the National City Bank of New York, and 

published in the "Americas" of January, 1920, Greece surpasses all 
the nations in gold reserve. 

7. Brazil, counting 25,000,000 people, of whom only 25 per cent, belong to 

the white race, many of whom are illiterate. Regarding illiteracy in 
Brazil, I read in the excellent work, "The Brazilians and Their Coun- 
try," written in 1917 by the well-known author, Mr. Clayton Sedwich 
Cooper, the following: "It is in the realm of elementary education that 
Brazil is particularly weak to-day. This is revealed in part by some- 
what astonishing percentage of illiteracy, which is estimated to be 
not less than 70 per cent, of the entire population. To be sure, Brazil 
has a somewhat more complex problem than many of the South 
American states, because of the numbers of her negro and Indian 
population, especially in the north and in the interior of her extensive 
domain." One official excused the municipal authorities when accused 
of not furnishing money for a much-needed school building by saying: 
"How could we build a new schoolhouse when we had only enough 
money to build the theatre?" 

8. During the same period Turkish immigrants (Turkish subjects) amounted 

to 312,000, of v/hom over 50 per cent, are Greeks. 
Remark. — Since coal and the want of fuel and cheap transportation facilities 
are marked in Portugal, valuable Portuguese mines are not exploited. 
Per contra there exists in Greece abundantly a very good quality of 
lignite under progressing exploitation. 

Oil fields in the island of Zante are now drilled. Also in Epirus 
(northern Greece), near Malissa River, British oil interests and the 
Royal Dutch Syndicate have received concessions in newly discovered 
oil fields. 

There are already Greek capitalists investigating the water power 
of Macedonia. For the utilization of the estimated 350,000 horse- 
power a capital of about 170,000,000 Drachmas ($34,000,000 at normal 
exchange) is needed. 

GLENOLDEN, Pa., October, 1920. ARISTOTLE S. TSAKONAS 



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